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NOTE #1: There is a
family story about Captain Fleig being in Galveston, Texas after the Civil War and he got
into a bar fight. A union officer was killed and the island was sealed. All looking for
Captain Fleig. The story goes he escaped the island by getting into a bread box that was
shipping bread from the bakery in Galveston to Houston, Texas.
NOTE #2: HISTORY OF THE CUTTERS NAMED HARRIET LANE
On February 25, 1858, the U.S. Revenue Marine, an agency of the Treasury Department and a
forerunner of today's Coast Guard, commissioned the first HARRIET LANE. The Revenue Marine
named this ship in honor of President Buchanan's niece and official White House hostess,
Miss Harriet Lane. This remarkable lady became the most admired and celebrated woman of
her time. Not since Abigail Adams had the President's home seen so brilliant a social
life, thanks to her tact, diplomacy. and great charm
The first HARRIET LANE was the Revenue Marine's first successful steam side wheeler built
at the then high cost of $150,000. A sleek, Webb Institute designed 180 foot vessel with a
30 foot beam, 700 tons displacement. drawing 10 feet of water HARRIET LANE also had a
brigantine auxiliary sail rig. While making her maximum speed of 12 knots, she consumed
1,500 pounds of coal per hour.
HARRIET LANE gleamed so brightly in the Navy's watchful eye that almost immediately after
its commissioning the Navy requisitioned her for an expedition to Paraguay. During the
1850's Paraguay rebuffed all U.S. attempts to establish trade agreements. Unfortunately
this dispute became violent when Paraguayans resisted U.S. efforts to being
"opened" for trade and attacked a U.S. vessel in the Parana River. In response,
the U.S. sent a naval expeditionary force.
HARRIET LANE met the Navy's needs for a highly maneuverable vessel of gunboat dimensions
that could operate both on rivers and on the ocean. Under the command of Captain Faunce,
USR-M. HARRIET LANE remained In the Revenue Marine, but attached to a Navy flotilla of 14
warships. Along with her crew of 82 men and 22 embarked Marines, HARRIET LANE bristled
with two 9.inch guns, tour 24, and one 12 pound howitzer.
Paraguay negotiated a trade treaty without a test of gunfire from the flotilla. Early in
1859 the Navy returned HARRIET LANE to the Revenue Marine with this testimonial from the
Flotilla commander, Commodore Shubrick, USN; "All the vessels grounded more than
once, and it proper that I express my sense of appreciation of the skill and zeal with
which Captain Faunce has used this very efficient vessel in extricating us from our
difficulties...USS FULTON would have been lost altogether, if not for the assistance
afforded by HARRIET LANE.
In the autumn of 1859 HARRIET LANE resumed her Revenue1Marine duties be patrolling off the
Florida coast to prevent violations of the slave trade law. In 1860, she returned to New
York where she carried out normal cutter duties for about a year. In the summer of 1880,
Miss Lane hosted the visiting Prince of Wales on board her namesake for a cruise from
Washington to Mount Vernon. The onset of southern rebellion and threats of secession found
the Union Navy short of vessels. In a pattern that was to repeat itself in every American
conflict since the Civil War, the Navy Department asked again -for the services of the
Coast Guard. The Navy liked the HARRIET LANE not only for her handiness and speed, but
also for her husband commander Captain Faunce.
In fact. HARRIET LANE was doubtless the most famous cutter and Captain Faunce one of the
most distinguished officers of the Revenue-Marine during the Civil War. While the
Confederate Army bombarded Fort Sumter. HARRIET LANE patrolled off the bar at the entrance
to Charleston Harbor. During the bombardment HARRIET LANE challenged the reluctant steamer
NASHVILLE to show her colors, and fired a shot across NASHVILLE'S bow. The NASHVILLE
obliged, quickly running up the Union flag. Captain Faunce noted that the action "had
the desired effect." Thus HARRIET LANE is credited with firing the first shot from
any naval unit in the long and terrible war to preserve the Union. After the fall of Fort
Sumter.
HARRIET LANE convoyed troops on the Chesapeake Bay and then joined a Navy squadron to
capture Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras, serving as bases for Confederate blockade runners.
On August26, 1861, HARRIET LANE sailed down Hatteras Inlet, with two frigates. three
gunboats, and transports carrying a thousand troops. In a strategy that would be repeated
so often in World War Il, HARRIET -LANE with her 8-inch cannon and four 43 ponders kept
the beach and the scrub woods beyond it under fire while boatloads of soldiers were rower
ashore. A correspondent from "Harper's Magazine" wrote: HARRIET LANE opened
fire. With her rifled guns she did good execution. Several projectiles going into the
battery and one going directly through the ramparts The fire was so hot that the enemy
went into a bombproof...and soon white flag rose." This battle was the Union's first
joint services amphibious.' operation of the war, and it was a major victory for the
Union. HARRIET LANE'S actions contributed significantly.
The Revenue-Marine permanently transferred HARRIET LANE to the U.S. Navy in the fall of
1861 when Commander Wainwright. USN. relieve Captain Faunce. USR-M. No longer a
Revenue-Marine cutter. HARRIET' LANE served as the Potomac River Flotilla flagship from
October 186 until January 1862, escorting troop and supply ship's. Then she served a the
flagship for Admiral David Porter's flotilla of 21 tire support vessels.
Equipped with mortars. the flotilla bombarded forts guarding the entrance to the
Mississippi River in the first step to capture New Orleans.' The flotilla. as part of
Admiral Farraguts fleet, made short work of the Confederate River Defense Force, and the
fleet went on to capture New Orleans. HARRIET LANE went on to participate in the capture
of Pensacola and the first, but abortive. siege of Vicksburg. Upon returning to New
Orleans HARRIET LANE received new orders 10 join the West Gulf Blockade Squadron.
On October 1, 1862. she sailed into Galveston Bay with the flotilla. Aided by a Union Army
Detachment, the flotilla captured Galveston-HARRIET LANE remained in Galveston with a now
much smaller Union Army and Navy presence. This set the stage for HARRIET LANE'S final.
battle under the stars and stripes.
On January 1, 1863 (NOTE #4) a large Confederate force of infantrymen and river steamers
attacked the small Union contingent at Galveston, Texas. HARRIET LANE resisted mightily in
a bloody battle fought with guns and cutlasses. During the fierce hand to-hand combat, the
commanding officer, Captain Wainwright, was killed. The executive officer, Lieutenant
Edward Lea, mortally wounded, died in the arms of his father, confederate Major A. M-Lea -
one of the officers In charge of the confederate boarding party.
Now under Confederate control. HARRIET LANE became embroiled in Confederate politics. The
Confederate Army wished to maintain control of her. since they were the ones that had
captured her. The Confederate Navy wanted her for a warship. For several months HARRIET
LANE, Commanded by Captain W. H. Fleig, gained fame as a blockade runner for the South. In
the end, she was sold to a cotton merchant. loaded with cotton, and ordered to sail to
Havana. And did not leave until the Civil War was over.
In 1867, a movement began to return HARRIET LANE to the Revenue Cutter Service. Captain
Faunce, her skipper, was dispatched to tow HARRIET LANE back to the U.S. Years of neglect
made her unfit for duty in the service, and she was sold to a Boston merchant. She was
renamed the ELLIOT RITCHIE, and was employed in the lumber trade. In May 1884. she sailed
for Buenos Aires and was buffeted by hurricane force winds in the Caribbean, where she was
abandoned to the sea.
NOTE #3: Sabine Pass, Texas
American Civil War
September 8, 1863
About 6:00 am on the morning of September 8, 1863, a Union flotilla of four gunboats and
seven troop transports steamed into Sabine Pass and up the Sabine River with the intention
of reducing Fort Griffin and landing troops to begin occupying Texas. As the gunboats
approached Fort Griffin, they came under accurate fire from six cannons. The Confederate
gunners at Fort Griffin had been sent there as a punishment. To break the day-to-day
monotony, the gunners practiced firing artillery at range markers placed in the river.
Their practice paid off. Fort Griffin's small force of 44 men, under command of Lt.
Richard W. Dowling, forced the Union flotilla to retire and captured the gunboat Clifton
and about 200 prisoners. Further Union operations in the area ceased for about a month.
The heroics at Fort Griffin, 44 men stopping a Union expedition—inspired other
Confederate soldiers.
Result(s): Confederate victory Location: Jefferson County
Campaign: Operations to Blockade the Texas Coast (1863)
Date(s): September 8, 1863
Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin and Capt. Frederick Crocker, U.S.N.
[US]; Lt. Richard W. Dowling [CS]
Forces Engaged: 4 gunboats and 7 transports loaded with troops [US]; Texan Davis Guards
(44 men) [CS]
Estimated Casualties: (US 230; CS unknown)
Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.
NOTE #4: Galveston Texas
Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder, who became the Confederate commander of military forces in
Texas on November 29, 1862, gave the recapture of Galveston top priority. At 3:00 am on
New Year's Day, 1863, four Confederate gunboats appeared, coming down the bay toward
Galveston. Soon afterward, the Rebels commenced a land attack.
The Union forces in Galveston were three companies of the 42nd Massachusetts Volunteer
Infantry Regiment under the command of Col. Isaac S. Burrell. The Confederates captured or
killed all of them except for the regiment's adjutant. They also took Harriet Lane, by
boarding her, and two barks and a schooner. Cdr. W.B. Renshaw's flagship, U.S.S.
Westfield, ran aground when trying to help Harriet Lane and, at 10:00 am, she was blown up
to prevent her capture by the Confederates. Galveston was in Confederate hands again
although the Union blockade would limit commerce in and out of the harbor.
NOTE #5:
When William H. Fleig married Texas Calista Stevens, he was 43 years old she was 16. They
had 9 children, the first when she was 17 the last when she was 49. Calista died at
61, Capt. Fleig at 100 years, six
months and 21 days.
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